Closure
by SecretFlowerChild
Summary: He was always thinking about her even when he tried not to. How can one simply forget everything you've been through with someone you care about? The answer was you can't. Read and Review. (Shadaria)


**Author's Note: Hello there, dear reader. I present to you a very, well, touching story, I guess. This was a challenge that my friends and I are having and I got... ShadowXMaria, yay. I'm not a big fan of this couple, or any Shadow couple really since I see him as more of a loner but I tried. My friend wanted me to bring Maria back somehow and I don't do that stuff, sorry. Anyways, when I was writing this I thought it was alright, pretty average writing if I do say so myself. It got pretty personal, losing someone you care about is pretty tough. Heck, losing someone who was a mere acquaintance is difficult. In Shadow's case it was brutal to watch. I dedicate this to people who have lost someone they care about. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters in this story. All of them belong to SEGA or Sonic Team, you decide.**

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_**"Losing a Friend is like losing a part of your life. There is no cure for the sorrow you feel inside. It's a void in your heart. You must try to move on, whether you can or not is unknown. But always remember them..."  
**_

It was almost three in the morning in the now quiet city of Station Square. Almost all souls were asleep. A few strayed here or there but other than that, pure bliss. One in particular watched the sky in deep thought. The full moon caressing the black hedgehog's face, lighting up in crimson eyes, glazed over. He sat at the top of a building, Rouge's apartment building to be exact. His back rested against the exit door of the roof leading back down stairs. The light breeze blew his quills slightly, reminding him he was here even if his thoughts were somewhere else. He had woken up not long ago. It had been happening a lot recently, waking up early. He found it a task to try to go back to sleep, fearing what might happen if he did. Those night tremors of his past were taunting him again. Usually he would push it all away, forcing it from his mind. Yet, this time, it was difficult to forget the past. How can one simply forget everything bad that had happened? The answer was you couldn't.

The red high-lighted hedgehog clenched his fists, angry at himself for being so vulnerable every time she crossed his mind. He shook angrily, why'd she have to die? Shadow the Hedgehog, the ultimate life form, was breaking. He couldn't take it, the constant loss of his dear friend always haunting him. He allowed himself to think of her at times, no matter how hard he tried to build a dam to stop his feelings about it; eventually it'd collapse on him. Maria Robotnik, his first true friend. She was there with him through it all. From his creation to her brutal end, they were side by side. She didn't care that he was a weapon, she liked him for him. He secretly had grown to love the young girl. He remembered her so clearly, her long blonde hair, her variety of blues on her dress, a matching headband to keep her hair out of her face and those eyes. Her eyes were the bluest he had ever seen. Bitter sweet memories…

Shadow sighed deeply, completely exhausted. He was happy that no one was around to see him in such a state. What would they think of the hard-shelled Shadow crack from measly bad dreams? He didn't need their pity, he didn't want it. Sure he made friends, Rouge, Omega and sometimes he counted Amy but they were no Maria. He let another sigh escape his lips as he stared up at the star spotted sky. The lights of the city subtracted the number of stars greatly. That didn't bother him. All that mattered is that he could see a few. It reminded him of space, his time at the ark when everything was good. He closed his eyes, feeling the weight of sleepless nights on his eyelids. He felt himself dozing off, he couldn't fight it. He whispered one word to himself before he fell under.

"Maria…"

…

"Isn't it beautiful?" The blonde pre-teen asked the hedgehog beside her. Shadow didn't move his head towards her, focusing on the blue planet, streaked with whites and greens below them.

"It is." He nodded, remarking how pretty it looked, how the blue matched Maria's eyes. She sighed dramatically; Shadow snuck a peak at her this time. She really was a beautiful creature, although she wasn't his species, whatever that may be, he saw her as perfect. He also saw the sorrow in her eyes while watching the place she couldn't be.

"I wish that we could go down there. All of the pictures I've seen from Grandpa are so pretty, Shadow." She touched the glass window of the observation deck, longing to experience the sights herself. Shadow was still on one word that made him feel… weird. She had said "we" as in together. He couldn't think of anything happier than being with Maria, watching her face beam at the sights that Earth held. He loved when she smiled. This is how loved felt, right? He knew it was different from any other feeling he had experienced. Love, it sounded sweet… But would she accept him? He feared that more than actually feeling love for her.

"Maria, we can go down there when you get better." He said, meaning it completely. She turned to him then, a small smile on her lips, "Really? You'd do that for me?"

Shadow grinned at her, "Of course, I'd do anything for you."

The girl faintly blushed at his kind, gentle words. Shadow took notice of her pink cheeks and quietness. How easy it was for her to get flustered at kindness directed towards her, especially by Shadow. She bit her lip, deep in thought. Shadow knew every gesture the girl made; she was like an open book to him. Except for the gaze she gave him now. Her eyes stared right at his, her lips pressed into a line.

"You promise to take me down there someday?" She asked shyly, wringing her hands together, yet her eyes told him she was serious about the question.

He didn't hesitate, "I promise, Maria. One day we'll see the world below together."

It was supposed to be a joyous memory after that where she hugged him, told him he was the best friend anyone could have. He had this memory often replaying in his head, he knew it by heart. Yet something was different about it now. Almost like time froze, nothing moved. Not Maria, or the Ark, just a motionless void. Shadow reached at his gloved fingers to the girl, "M-Maria?"

It shattered apart, all around him. Her face cracked, breaking in to pieces on to the ground. The scene followed after her, leaving nothing except the black emptiness. He shook in fear, hand still extended not believing Maria was once again gone.

"You promised!" Her voice rang through his ears in a menacing tone. "You broke that promise. You're nothing but a liar!"

Shadow fell to his knees, eyes scanning the darkness for the source of her voice. He weakly tried to say something to her, "Maria, I-"

"You said you promised we'd do this together, you said you'd do anything for me!" She taunted him, her voice sounding so unlike his Maria yet he knew it was her. He had broken his promise; everything she was screaming about was true. He couldn't believe it, didn't want to believe it. The pain was too much for him, he had failed her.

"I hate you!" She lashed out, the way she said it made the ebony hedgehog flinch. Those words burned in to him. Shadow felt his feelings overcome him. The guilt ate him alive. He grabbed his head, shaking it back and forth slowly. His mind was doing circles, he wanted to escape, but he was trapped in his own mind.

"Stop!" He screamed out to no one, "Leave me alone!"

He squeezed his eyes shut trying to ignore the nagging in his mind. He felt tears roll down his face. This nightmare was the worst he had ever had, it felt too real. He couldn't move his body at his own will at all. He didn't deserve to live his life when Maria didn't. Never waking up sounded like the best thing for him now, surrendering to all the pain. He felt himself slipping. No one was going to save him.

"Shadow…"

He didn't look up, in fear of another round of nightmares. He knew her voice, why did his own mind taunt him?

"Shadow, please." She begged, she sounded worried. He dared himself a peek. There she was before him, the light in the darkness. She looked lively, her skin casting a light glow as she approached Shadow. Her eyes were filled with pain and unshed tears. It killed her inside to see him in so much pain. She crouched down to him, placing her nimble hands on the sides of his face, forcing him to look at her. She saw how vulnerable he was, he looked sick even.

"Shadow", she tried again, wanting him to respond. He could only look into her eyes trying to grasp what was happening to him. He felt it, the sensation of happiness butterfly within him, a simple light guiding his way back, Maria was his light. Seeing her now, like this made it seem like this was no dream, was it? He mumbled her name and in return she smiled. Chaos, he missed her smile.

"I'm sorry for what I put you through", she murmured softly, the tears she tried holding in rolled down her cheeks. "I didn't know my death would hurt you so much. I never wanted you to suffer. I'm so sorry."

She cried. Her body shook violently, letting it all out. Shadow had snapped out of his faze. Reaching the hands still placed on his cheeks. He grabbed them with his own, bringing their entangled hands down in front of them as they sat together on their knees. She stared at him with her aquamarine eyes, confused.

"I don't understand", he mumbled to her sternly, "You still care for me after I had broken my promise to you. I get to live my life, you don't. Why are you sorry?"

The girl sniffled, not bothering to wipe her eyes, her hands were sort of preoccupied not that she minded. "Because, you're very important to me… You're in so much pain and I hate to see you this way."

His eye widened as she continued. "Even if I can't see the world, I wanted to do what was best for you. I knew you wouldn't leave without me so I did what I felt I had to do and you get to live a great life outside of the Ark. You were never an experiment to me Shadow, you were always my friend."

Of course, Maria wasn't selfish. She really did want him to live his life but that didn't mean he had regrets. He needed to tell her now before it was too late. She searched his eyes, waiting for him to respond to her.

"Maria, I thank you for my life." He began, trying not to choke up. She was the reason he was still alive. "But I regret not telling you that I-", he swallowed the lump in his throat, "love you. How c-can I live without you?"

There, he had said what he wished to tell her for a long time now. Tears still fell from her face but she smiled. His heart melted, she was euphoric to him. She yanked her hands out of his and pulled him into a hug. Her figure started to flicker out like a light, she was becoming transparent.

"Shadow..." She said quietly and pulled away. She was crying more than she had before, the smile still on her face. He panicked as he noted her disappearing figure. She couldn't be leaving him again, not after what he had finally told her. What bothered him the most was that she didn't she answer him. What did she think? There was no time for him to argue with himself internally, she was fading faster by the second. She squeezed his hand, gently. "I will always be with you. I know you'll never forget me. Live your life for the both of us, okay?"

She literally glowing, as her figure lost its color completely. She really was leaving for good this time, he knew it. He felt hot tears escape his eyes as she dissolved. She giggled cutely like a bell, "Don't cry, Shadow."

He couldn't help but cry. To him it felt like the end of the world. Moving on with your life after losing someone you cared about sounded impossible. He couldn't do it, he loved her.

"Maria, don't leave me!" He begged her, squeezing her hands tightly hoping it'd make her stay. She held his face and pressed her forehead against his. She was smiling even if he was suffering inside. He had to let her go. Maria knew this would be the final good-bye that he'd get.

"And… I love you too, Shadow the Hedgehog." She pressed her lips lightly against his. Shadow had no response. She said she loved him, what he always wanted to hear was heard. He started to say something back to her but she had disappeared completely in his shock. Her words echoed around him in a soothing tone,"Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog."

…

Shadow snapped his eyes open as soon as he could. His heart pounded in his chest at a faster rate than normal and he darted his eyes around to see where he was. He realized he still sat on the rooftop of the apartment building, no longer trapped. It was all a dream. Yet, it felt so real, was it? He shook his head. That wasn't possible… A cool breeze blew around sending shiver through him except…Wait, he noticed something. His lips felt tingly, that was weird. He moved his fingers up to them and they were oddly warm. It couldn't be… He rolled his tongue over his lips, tasting something sweet and sugary. He hands flew to his cheeks. They were damp. His eyes widened in shock, it…

_Maria that was really you…_

She had come to him to say good-bye. He wasn't dreaming about her saying she loved him, it was real. His heart beat faster against his rib cage giving him a warm feeling throughout his body. It felt like happiness, he knew her words were true. He stood up then, clenching a hand into a fist. The black hedgehog's eyes were towards the starry sky, reflecting in the ruby of his irises. He vouched that he'd live his life for her, that's all she ever wanted from him. He felt a weight lift off his being, he would still miss her, he knew that, but she loved him enough to let him have a life.

_I promise, Maria. This time I'll keep it. _

Shadow walked to the exit of the roof top and pushed it open. The wind blew lightly before he walked inside. His ear twitch to a quiet giggle in the wind, a crooked smile spread on his face. She'd always be with him, now he knew. Now he had closure.

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**What did ya think? Good, great, what the heck did I just read? Let me know, read and review. Any flames will be deleted and any harsh reviews as well. If you truly want to help improve a writer's skills then don't be so rash and tell them they suck. You're not perfect either, so keep it to yourself. I apologize for spelling mistakes, I can't catch them all... Also, if you feel the rated should be higher then please tell me.  
**


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